CAREER PATHS, REAL TALK, AND POSSIBILITY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR ARTS & BUSINESS

On January 29, Queens Community House (QCH) brought real-world insight and inspiration to students at the High School for Arts & Business with a dynamic Career Panel hosted at our Young Adult Borough Center (YABC). Designed to meet students where they are, the panel offered honest conversations about career journeys, education, and the many paths to success.

Students heard directly from a diverse group of professionals whose careers span finance, construction, entrepreneurship, sports, and digital media: Regina Ganpat, Community Manager at Chase; Giselle Diaz, Social Media Content Creator; Willie Cruz, Project Executive at Skanska; Shermaine Weiner, Founder of Lovebyemma Skincare; and Jillian Yanni, Coordinator of Community Engagement at New York City FC.

Students were actively engaged throughout the panel, asking thoughtful questions about education, career choices, and what it really takes to succeed in each field.

Throughout the discussion, panelists shared what their “typical day” really looks like, what people often misunderstand about their roles, and how they define success in their work. They spoke candidly about the education and training that helped them get where they are, while emphasizing that there is no single roadmap to a fulfilling career. From traditional degrees to alternative paths built through experience, persistence, and mentorship, students learned that career journeys can evolve in unexpected ways.

Panelists also highlighted the skills they rely on every day—communication, adaptability, problem-solving, and resilience—and named the challenges and sacrifices that often go unseen. Perhaps most impactful was the advice they offered: start building skills now, ask questions, seek out people who believe in you, and don’t be afraid to take chances on yourself.

This panel reflects QCH’s ongoing commitment to supporting young people through our YABCs, which provide evening academic programs for students who are behind in credits, balancing adult responsibilities, or navigating nontraditional paths to graduation. By connecting YABC students with professionals who understand perseverance and growth firsthand, QCH helps open doors to both academic success and future careers.

For students at the High School for Arts & Business, the message was clear: your path is valid, your goals are possible, and your future can take many forms, and QCH is here to support every step of the way.

STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT AT PS 160Q

On January 16, QCH’s afterschool program at PS 160Q transformed into a Winter Wonderland filled not just with festive decor, but with confidence, creativity, and proud smiles. Families gathered as our young performers took the stage for the Winter Wonderland Showcase, a joyful celebration where students shared dances and heartfelt poem recitations they had been practicing for weeks. With nearly 30 parents in attendance, the room buzzed with excitement as each child stepped into the spotlight, beaming with pride.

For the students, taking the stage helped them build confidence, stage presence, and comfort performing in front of an audience, skills that grow stronger with every showcase. Through rehearsals and commitment, students demonstrated reliability, teamwork, and perseverance, showing just how much they’ve grown. Already, students are excitedly talking about what they want to create for the next show.

This is the heart of QCH’s afterschool programs. At PS 160Q and across our elementary school sites, QCH creates safe, supportive spaces where children can explore new interests, strengthen social and emotional skills, and build confidence that carries into the classroom and beyond. Guided by caring, culturally responsive staff, our afterschool programs blend academic support with arts, recreation, and enrichment, helping young people not only succeed in school, but discover who they are and what they are capable of becoming.

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR:

LEW HARRIS

“I was the Executive Director of the Community House for 31 years. When I began, the center—then known as the Forest Hills Community House—was based in a community center in Forest Hills. During my 31 years, the center grew into a borough-wide endeavor that provides services for one of the country’s most diverse communities.

There were tensions happening in Forest Hills—government interventions, conflict, mistrust—and a sense that the Community House needed to help bring people together.

I had grown up in a southern community where prejudice was somewhat rampant. I was enlightened by the thought that I could have some impact on that kind of friction that was going on in Forest Hills. We had tension with public housing, but we also had an affluent community, so there had to be a way of bringing those together. I saw that as my first mission.

At the time, there was an early childhood center with very strong parent involvement, but the senior center wasn’t even run by QCH. I made it clear that the Community House would be a family organization. My vision was cradle-to-aging: early childhood, youth programs, teens, adults, and older adults, all connected.

Because that’s what a community is. If you don’t understand aging—if kids never see older adults, or if older adults never interact with teenagers—you miss something essential.

There were tensions everywhere. Teens wanted the gym. Seniors needed safety and routine. Immigrant families were moving in. Longtime residents felt unsettled. There was economic disparity.

We had poor people having lunch with wealthy people who had cooks at home. We had young children who were super dressed with kids not super dressed. And we had teenagers of different ethnic groups, all under one roof.

One program I’m very proud of is the Queens Center for Gay Seniors. Some people, even within our own board, couldn’t understand why LGBTQ seniors needed their own space. But we knew they faced isolation and discrimination. There was pushback, but we persisted.

What I learned during my tenure is that one person doesn’t do it alone. I had a great staff of consummate professionals, and together we grew great programs. I am very proud of my association with those people and of what we built together.

I am so grateful that that effort continued through the successive efforts of Irma Rodriguez and now, Ben Thomases. It is deeply satisfying to see how QCH continues to evolve to meet the needs of an ever-changing community.”

—Lew Harris